A new Asia-Pacific security framework? Plus China as responsible stakeholder at Davos

Xi to stress China’s ‘responsible’ global role in Davos / WSJ (paywall)China’s foreign ministry followed up today on reports from yesterday that Xi Jinping would be the first Chinese head of state to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The ministry stated that Xi will respond to criticism of China’s economy, “encourage various parties to put economic globalization in perspective, and push forward economic globalization in a more inclusive and equitable way.” As China moves to defend free trade and the upcoming U.S. administration plans to move away from it, it was also reported that there will be “open channels of communication” between the Chinese and American delegations attending Davos.

China to set up Asia-Pacific security framework amid growing mistrust among its neighbors / SCMPIn its “first policy white paper on Asia-Pacific security cooperation,” Beijing called for more military exchanges and transparent military alliances with its neighbors. But it criticized U.S.-South Korea collaboration to install a missile defense system in Seoul, arguing that “small and medium-sized countries need not and should not take sides among big countries.”

Lucas Niewenhuis is an associate editor at SupChina who helps curate daily news and produce the company's newsletter, app, and website content. Previously, Lucas researched China-Africa relations at the Social Science Research Council and interned at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He has studied Chinese language and culture in Shanghai and Beijing, and is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

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